The Sparrow

This historical fiction novel is the best I have read about the European settlement of New Zealand aimed at any level. It is well researched and stresses a fact that is often overlooked by historians – that without the Maori early New Zealand settlement would have been impossible. The Maori provided the settlers with food and shelter without which they would surely have starved. . . . The best book I have read this year and Tessa Duder’s first novel in 20 years. Keep writing Tessa.

Bob Docherty, Bob's Book Blog

The Sparrow is a dense, committed novel that shines its light strong on the fate of girls and women treated extremely badly in a shameful era of our history. Mistakenly convicted, housed in conditions that wouldn’t meet animal welfare standards today, Harriet perseveres. Her resilience seldom falters, and she is determined to expose the injustices that bring her to Auckland, so she can begin to build her own life. But the reader is left with the feeling that history, in this novel, is the real story, and that trumps all.

Erica Stretton, Aotearoa NZ Review of Books

Someone had to tell the tale of the Female Factories, those Australian workhouses for female convicts, and who better than Tessa Duder? Her knowledge of tall ship sailing alone would qualify her to write this sometimes harrowing transTasman survivor story. . . . Duder has a history of writing solid, likeable characters and Harry, the Sparrow of the title, is no exception. Thoroughly grounded in the geography of her setting, every step her hero takes between the three bays that made up the original Auckland shoreline is utterly convincing. . . . A perfect fit for the new histories curriculum.

Ann Packer, NZ Listener

Five stars: This would have to be my favourite of Tess Duder Young Adult novels yet. Meticulously detailed and gripping, The Sparrow is a historical tale that spans 12,000 miles, genders, the rich and poor, people of good character and bad, over 4 years and three countries. The reader will see the very beginnings of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, once deemed the capital of a new colony in the years of 1839-1840. Harriet is a brave character, doing all she can to survive terrible hardships forced upon her in spite. She has a strong sense of what’s right over pompous superstition and prejudice and stands her ground. Unfortunately this will be her downfall more than once. This novel is told in two timelines that connect at the end – and what a conclusion! Many of the characters are based on real people and the major events are taken from historical records. This is not only an insight into Aotearoa New Zealand’s early days, but a riveting story too.

WhatBookNext.com, Goodreads